Cultivator.



C. E. WHITE.

CULTIVATOR.

APPLNCATION FILED JUNE 5,1912- mmm I Patented Nov. 27, 191K.

"2 SHEETS-SHEET C. E. WHITE.

CL LTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5.1912.

Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

CHARLES E. WHITE, or MoLINE, IIJLIENOIS or MOLINE, rumors, a

earner. 7

To all whom it mayconcem: Beit knownthatI, OHARLEs E. W ITE, a citizen of the. United States, residing at Moline, in the county of Rock'lsland and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cultivators, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had thereinto the accompanyingdrawings. i

This invention relates moreparticularly to cultivators intended and adapted. for the renovation of alfalfa. For this purposeit is desirable to have a machine which will loosen the earth between and around the roots and which will scrape the roots themselves Without breaking or cutting them.

As shown in the drawings, a machine embodying my invention has a plurality .of cultivator shovels or teeth arranged in stag: gered relationship in two transverse rows. The objects of my inventionare to provide in machine of this class an improved frame construction, improved means for connecting theshovels or teeth to the frame to permit lateral yielding, and improved means for adjusting the position of the frame toregulate and control the actionof the shovels or teeth. Other objects will appear in the following specification and claims. 7 I 1 In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation with the parts adjusted to bring the teethinto operative positions. For the sake of .clearness the nearground wheel is not shown. I Fig. 2 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1 but with the parts adjusted to raise the teeth into inoperative positions. i

thepositions shownin Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a plan view with the parts in ,Fig. 4 is a detail cross sectional view taken'along the line H of'Fig.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear end view. of the cultivator in an alfalfa field, the ground being shown in section. V a

Referrin to the drawings, 1 represents the axle w ich is provided at its ends with cranked or offset portions 2, 2, upon which are rotatably secured the ground wheels 3, 3. 4L represents as a whole themain frame of the machine. Thisframe is preferably made up of two main bar elements 5 and 6. The .rear element 5 comprises a transverse part behind the axle and forward extending side parts 5 5 at the ends of the transverse o'eLTIvA'ron.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentgdl Application filed June 5, 1912. Serial No. 701,817.

AssreNon 'ronnnnn a mansun ooiurany, oonronnrron or ILLINOIS.

Nov. 27, 1917..

part. Each part 5 isofi'set toward the center of the machine'and near its forward. end has securedto it a hearing? which is rotatable on the cranked axle 1. The forward frameelementG has a transverse part in ad vance of the axle and rearward extending side parts 6, 6 which are secured by means of bolts or otherwise to the corresponding side parts 5 5 of the element 5.

8 is a central longitudinal bar or pole preferably formed of-wood. To this pole 8 is secured tliemaindraft pole 9. The pole 8 is connected by suitable means, such as the brackets 10 and 11, with the elements 5 and 6 of the main frame. Diagonal braces 12, 12 extend to the pole fromthe ends of the frame. Ati13 there is provided aclevis to which can be secured a whifiietree for the attachment of draft animals; A drivers seat 14 is mounted uponthe pole 8 by means of a standard 15.

Inorder that the main frame 4: may be raised or lowered, I provide a hand lever 16 by means of which the crank axle 1 can be rocked with respect to the frame. This hand-lever is rigidly connected to the axle and upon the frame there is provided a notched segment 17 which can be engaged by a handcontrolled latch 18 on the lever toulock the lever and axle in any desired position. l Y

. In order to assist the movement of the hand lever 16 in the directionto raise the frame and the parts connected to it, I provide two coil tension springs 19, 19, each connected at its forward end to the pole 8 and each connected at its rear end to an arm 20 rigidly secured to'the axle. The

tendency of the springs is to turn the axle to lift the frame and this tendency is counteracted by the weight of the frame and the attached parts and the weight of'the driver.

Extending in generally longitudinal clirections'between the two frame elements 5 and 6 are series of bars 21 and 22 arranged in pairs, three pairs being shown in the drawings. The central parts of the bars of each pair are secured together and in front of and behind the said central parts the bars extend first diagonally outward awayfrom each other and then forward and rearward parallel to each other topoints of attachment with the frame elements 5 and 6. The bars are so shaped that the forward longitudinal part of each bar is out of alinement with the rear longitudinal part. The near longitudinal parts of the bars taken with the parts 5 of the frame form a transverse series of tooth supports and the forward parts of the bars taken with the parts 6Pof the frame element 6 form another transverse series of tooth .supports arranged in staggere'd relationship with the supports of the first series. supports is a standard 23 which carries at itsalower enda teeth 24;- The connection between each standard 23 and its support is a resilient oneand is clearly shown 1n is adjusted its parts move about the forward tongue support as a pivot.- As a result of this, the teeth of the two transverse rows move through substantially equal distances and there is little or no tendency for one set of teeth to be moved to a level below that of the other. The operator, by means of the hand-lever 16, can raise or lower the frame and with it the teeth to properly adjust'the depth of action of the latter.

Each tooth is slightly rounded at its forward end to enable it to easily slip off from and past any roots that it may engage and the rearward and upward curved shape of the tooth causes it not only to lift and loosen the earth, but ,alsorto scrape along a considerable portion of any roots in or adjacent its'path.

As has been before stated, each tooth can swing laterally toward one side, or the other when a root is encountered; This action of the teeth is clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The dotted lines show the normalpositions of the teeth and the full lines show" the positions to which the teeth may bemoved by engagement with the roots.

I am aware that cultivators with sharp wide faced shovels having wide bottom cutting edges have been heretofore used with standards combined with a hand lever system for throwing the standards manually outward or inward, and also shifting the shovels, for the purpose of so adjusting the cutting edges that they will not impinge upon the plants but will act to sever weed orfthe-like. r

. But in my construction the movements of the teeth laterally are automatic. There is Secured to each of these tooth 1 a nor mal central position for each standard and tooth, and the resilient element, forming part of eachjworking unit, is so adjusted I and "related to theo'therparts that the tooth willbe-held in this normal position until a relatively low lateral pressure is" exerted upon it in one direction or the other and will theirautomatically yield"'and permit the tooth to's wingqeither to the right or the left as demanded; and then, after it. has

. frame'andsupporting wheels, of-a plurality of non-cuttingteeth shaped to provide soilentering-flparts adapted to bear laterally against'stalks or roots without cutting them, aplura lity of drag standards each having one of said teeth secured to its lower end part, and connecting devices forjoining to the frame that part of each standard to i which its tooth is attached comprising aresilient element adapted to automatically yield and permit the tooth, under relatively low predetermined lateral pressure, to swingin either direction,- laterally, away from anormal central working position and adapted to hold the tooth in said central working position until the limit of said pressure is reached and to return the tooth to saidcentral position after "such lateral swinging. H v

' '2. In arenovatiugcul tivator for alfalfa and the like, the combination with a main frame and supporting wheels,of a plurality of non-cutting teeth shaped toprovide soilentering parts adapted to bear laterally against-stalks or roots withoutcuttin them, a plurality of "dragstandards each 0 which isrigid from endto, end against bending and has one of said teeth secured-to itslower end part, and connecting devices between eac'hfst'andard and the frame comprising resihent means supplemental tothe standard adapted to automatically yield and permit the tooth under relatively -low predetermined lateral pressure to swing in either direction; 1atera11y ,away from the normal central working position'and to return the tooth 'tosaid central position after such latreached.

{3. In a renovatingcultivator for alfalfa and the like, the combinationwith amain frame and supporting wheels, of a plurality 1 of non-cutting'teeth shaped to providesoilentering parts adapted to bear laterally against stalks or roots" without cutting them,

main frame and connecting devices for joining each shank part to the frame with a V hinge-like union to permit it to swing laterally and comprising a resilient element adapted to automatically yield and permit the tooth under a predetermined lateral pressure to swing in either direction later ally away from a normal central working position, and adapted to return the tooth to and hold it in said central working position after such lateral swing and untilthe limit of said pressure is reached.

4:. In a renovating cultivator for alfalfa and the like, the combination with the main frame and supporting wheels of a plurality of non-cutting teeth shaped to provide soilentering parts adapted to bear laterally against stalks or roots without cutting them, a plurality of drag standards each having one of saidteeth secured to its lower end part and adapted to have said end part automatically rock laterally in either direction around an approximately longitudinal horizontal axis, and connecting devices for joining each of said drag standards to the frame comprising a resilient element adapted to automatically yield and permit the tooth under a predetermined low pressure to swing in either direction, laterally, away from a normal central working position and adapted to return the tooth to and hold it in said working position until the limit of said predetermined pressure is reached.

5. In a renovating cultivator for alfalfa and the like, the combination with the main frame and supporting wheels of a plurality of non-cutting teeth shaped to provide soilentering parts adapted to bear laterally against stalks or roots without cutting them, a plurality of drag standards each having one of said teeth secured thereto, and connecting devices for each standard to join it to the frame adapted to hold the tooth against movement vertically or longitudinally in a normal central working position and comprising a resilient element for each standard adapted to permit said tooth to swing in either direction to automatically yield laterally away-from said central position and to return the tooth to and hold it in said position after said lateral swing.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. WVHIIE.

Witnesses:

OSCAR LUNDAHL, ED. W. Mnnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

